Walk Your Way Right into an Interview

Having a well written, authentic resume will help you to be a stand out piece from all other entries. Your resume is the first impression that HR managers and the interviewer receives prior to meeting you. This is your opportunity to show your best attributes and show why you are the best candidate for the job.

Authentic yet Original

Authenticity and originality are two compelling characteristics to a healthy resume in 2017. No need to use clichés or re-using the descriptions from the job posting; demonstrate, instead, how those attributes have been exemplified through the work or jobs you have done. Authenticity also means being truthful about who you are and what you do while still being mindful of any confidential information that need not to be shared.

Specific and Relative

How relative are your skills and characteristics to the job you are applying for? When crafting your resume, relativity is an important factor to being considered for the position. Take time to analyze what all the company and job position entails and what they are seeking before listing your involvement in the sewing club for a position in offshore marketing. In addition, you should also analyze any relative, applicable skills attained from your previous work and volunteer experiences as well as knowledge gained from collegiate courses (if a recent graduate). The key here is to ensure and exemplify how these skills are transferable in a short, concise manner. If you are concerned that your lack of work experience will deter your consideration for hiring, you are still able to demonstrate your relative skills through assessing your volunteering experiences and coursework taken.

Being specific also entails being short and concise. This allows for an easier read for the eyes but also requires careful consideration of the words you choose to use. It is best to stay away from any objective or controversial statements, negative connotations, and “space-fillers”. Instead, you should choose to go for attention grabbing verb words, specific words that make you stand out, and highlighting (recent) academic, personal, and job related accomplishments/awards. When referring to any advancements made in your previous job(s), include numbers to tell specifically how your contributions caused the company you worked with to advance. If there was a change in position, specify your new title and the time-frame in years. Lastly, if you are referring to your school achievements, include your involvement in things such as honor courses or being a summa cum laude graduate.

Summarize and Summary

Knowing that your resume is the first impression, providing a short summary of who you are, your experiences and achievements, allows the company to get a sense of who they will be interviewing and what to expect throughout the resume. Your summary is important because it will be the first thing they read before getting into your educational background, skills and experiences, so make it special. In addition, when writing your summary or listing your skills and work experiences, summarizing is the best way to go. If there is an area that has bulleted information, do your best to keep each to one line; no need to go into extreme depth and detail.

Format Your Frame

Formatting is the time to make your resume 2017 as visually-yet professional-appealing as possible. If you are unsure exactly where to start, you can find resume template examples to give you an idea or two. Also, including an appropriate infographic can make your resume be a standout piece as well. Be sure to take note of your font usage and size by using no more than two font styles that are either 11pt to 12pt and not going overboard on bolding. Additionally, if your resume contains too much information that you are flowing to two and three pages, check your font size as well as your choice of content. Make sure you are including information that is most important and relative to the job position you are applying for. How long should your resume be? As debatable as it can be, do try to stick to one page. Having a master resume with all the details of your work experiences, skills and volunteering is helpful when searching for information to use and pull from.

With all your information on one master resume, you can choose which to include on the resume you will be using for submission.